Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-12-08

FARMING IN OLD TIME.-Old time
farming as compared with the farming
OF to-day would seem to Us. who have
become accustomed TO the newer
methods, far more irksoms were We
Obliged to return to it again than Il
did when no better wa. was known.
And 1T seems We are too much given
to fault finding now. We often hear
remarks like this: When was a
boy they did not do so.
Now let me tell You what the aver.
age farmer did from forty to fftv
years ago. 1fhe was fortunate enough
to live within 30 miles of some Of the
few manufacturing villages of the
lower part of the State his Winter
work was usually hsnling cord wood
to market. The best Of hard wood
brought five dollars per cord. while
soft wood was worth but one-half as
much.-Many times while living with
my parents in Stratford, when from
sixteen to twenty years of age, have
driven an OK team, starting at nine
clock P. n from nv home, % what
Is now the city OF Dover, where, ar.
irving about sunset, | would feed my
team and, after warming and eating
my lunch at the fire Of some friendly
grocer, would sell nv load, anl after
carefully bestowing NV hard earned
dollars to the inside pocket which nay
good mother had prepared for the
purpose, would turn my team home
ward, arriving there about the time |
started the night before. Most Of the
boys of to-day would think it paving
dear for the whistle to 20 through
with such an experience for so pa!try
q sum, but as it was the custom of the
times, and the best We could 10, and
SO, making virtue out OF necessity
We tried to enjoy it.
We generally had a number OF
teams together, and the long Winter
nights were passed in story telling and
songs, so that these trips were looked
on by the boys as a sort OF holiday.
| well remember the prices at which
stock was sold in those times, and viii
name few sales OF nice animals to
show the contrasts with prices Of to-
day. My father sold colt, five years
old, weighing 1000 lbs, for So; one
pair OF matched oxen weighing 800,
for S5S; a nice COW for 80. These
were common prices, and, as you will
see, were only one-third the pr ices Of
live stock now. Potatoes were drawn
ten miles to a starch mill for l2,. per
bushel, and the best Of hay was sold
for Sc per ton.
In view of these facts, why is it
that SO much is said about the good
old times. Let us see how the'case is
now with farmers Of similar standing.
Most farmers, whose business calls
them to market, use horses, or what Is
more common, send their goods by
rail, in a much cheaper and certainly
easier way than that employed by our
fathers. And this Is not all.
If we look at the condition in which
farmers families are kept now, We
shall find it far in advance OF that
enjoyed by Us in our younger days.
The time has come when more IL
required of MS, il We would maintain
q position Of moderate responsibility,
than was OF past generations, ana tins
| hail as one OF the signs Of the good
time coming, when many shall run to
and fro, and knowledge shall cover
the earth as the waters DO the deep.
have often thought Of the deplor'
able ignorance which prompted the
distribution of the first labor saving
machines introduced among the peas
antry of England and Ireland, and
pictured to myself the look on the
sooty face OF the honest oil long
shore man as he salutei the first
engine he had ever seen used for
hosting coal from a vessel to the
wharf, which was something ike the
following: "Spoot, spoot and be both
cred We ould child OF the devil tha;
yeare. Ye may do the work Oftwenty.
FIVE fllies and take the bread out Of
an honest Irishmans mouth, but by
the powers ys cant vote, old b!azes,
now moind thst.